Town Square

Local leaders: Race relations must improve

A week after police arrested three Mountain View High School students for alleged hate crimes, community leaders said the incident is a wake-up call on the need to discuss issues of race and tolerance.

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Posted by Over Reaction?
a resident of Whisman Station
on Dec 20, 2008 at 9:53 am

Do you really think this was a “Hate Crime?” Read between the lines. Sounds like stupid kids being the bully on the block. A true hate crime is where someone plans and targets a specific protected class. I bet these kids were high and stupid. The police mostly likely arrested them just to make a point to their parents hoping they will wake up and see their kids have some issues that need to be addressed. The judge will most likely give them a slap on the wrist and not even convict them under the hate crime laws. Do you realize that if the police department’s press officer(s) figured out that this was just kids being stupid and not reporting it as a “hate crime” then this would not have been such a “Big Deal?” Now it is just fuel for the “Community Leaders” to stand up to be heard. “Racism in the city” makes our nice community sound like we living in a ghetto. Thank you Mr Police Officer that took care of problem on this day but tell your press officer to get out of the office and help you out on the street instead of feeding not really news stories.

Posted by Vicente Duque
a resident of another community
on Dec 20, 2008 at 12:04 pm

The IMPUNITY of the present generates the MURDERS of the Future.

That is what is happening in many communities that have been tolerant with "foolish kids" and their gangs that play "innocent games" of "wilding" and "jumping" on other races, ethnics, old people, gays, etc .. They finally graduate to murderers.

And the Big Apple becomes the Clockwork Orange, as it has happened in New York, because of impunity and complacency with thugs.

Manuel Aucaquizhpi 1994
Rene Perez 2007
Marcelo Lucero 2008
Jose Sucuzhanay 2008
All of them murdered in New York

Luis Ramirez in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania 2008

These men have been killed by "innocent kids" and "honor students" and "football players" that are the pride of grandma. All of them "sweet kids" and "nice children".

I have a big roster of gays that were murdered by these teen gangs only for being gays. Or Black People murdered for being Black.

And of Women assaulted, raped or enslaved for being from the Wrong Race or Sexual Orientation.

Posted by Jimmy
a resident of The Crossings
on Dec 20, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Vicente Duque - "The IMPUNITY of the present generates the MURDERS of the Future." I think that is quite reach... How about this, if you see "foolish kids" causing problems then call the police and report it. Too many of us just watch as "Innocent" things develop and wonder what why nobody gets in trouble for it.

RELAX.
Everyone needs to relax. This is just anger from the bad economy and the dumb president, and we are focusing ths anger on other people. Stop, relax and calm down.
This is the Bay area. We must be known as peaceful, intelligent and advanced people. Let us prove the southern states we are not uneducated hillbillies like them.

Posted by Need Safety for Kids
a resident of The Crossings
on Dec 23, 2008 at 6:07 pm

Kids being stupid should be tolerated when they are amongst their friends. When it spills out to the street and affects innocent younger kids who will learn to be afraid and distrustful of other older kids, this is a problem. The community leaders are right to raise the alarm and demand a community response. ALL KIDS, older and younger, need the community's support to grow into responsible adults. If the police officers and judges are sympathetic to the older kids for their 'stupid' behavior and challenging family situations, it is a humane way to teach them some responsibility while still giving consequences for an inappropriate action. What can the community do to help the victims, and to prevent future victims ? Showing a movie is one step but can we all agree that we need to do more?

Posted by Alejandro
a resident of Martens-Carmelita
on Dec 24, 2008 at 10:51 pm

According to Liz Wylie, spokesperson for MVPD, Mountain View has one "hate crime" per year, and this, according to Crank and others, is an epidemic? Do we really need a one-sided committee, looking out for their own special interests, to study this huge once a year problem?

We have far more "hate crimes" occurring from the brave, "tough in numbers" gang members in Mountain View. So many in fact the MVPD recently formed a group of "gang officers" to address the growing Hispanic gang problem.

The facts are that a few misguided Caucasian youths made a poor decision and will pay dearly for it. This incident has been so blown out of proportion since, thank God, no one was physically harmed. You can't say that about so many of the other "hate crimes" I've read about perpetrated by Mountain View gang members e.g., beatings, stabbings and shootings.

Posted by Mr. DePortum
a resident of another community
on Dec 25, 2008 at 5:00 am

sorry for my earlier comments, I'm an idiot, I was picked on when I was little and my dad used to beat me. I guess I have no one else to blame so I post what I think are funny comments, I know in reality they are not. I feel alone

Posted by DePortum's father
a resident of North Whisman
on Dec 25, 2008 at 5:17 am

DePortum you are an ignorant idiot, you post stupid comments to prove what? Did you go to school? Do you know how this country came to be? Do you know who was in this country first?I'm guessing probably not but you should look into it. By the way I'm sorry, Your dad must have beat you pretty hard, probably beat you with a brown belt.

Posted by Annoymous Viewer
a resident of Shoreline West
on Dec 29, 2008 at 3:02 pm

Racial slurrs, Threatening to kill, chasing away, brandishing replica firearms... these are serious offenses to me. Anyone could get hurt if it goes beyond the limits. I have a son that I will not have him walk by himself because of these kind of situations. Kids these days need constant supervision and if these kids were supervised these things could be avoided.

Posted by slanted
a resident of Castro City
on Dec 31, 2008 at 5:44 am

It's only a hate crime if the crime is committed by a white person or against a gay person. Of course this is wrong, but the policy should be carefully considered. The policy will bring more problems if it doesn't address the hate crimes committed by other races against whites. I have witnessed many hate crimes against whites and have received death threats myself from latino gang members. These things were never labeled crimes, let alone hate crimes.